Spring 2013

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There was no obvious reason why patients flooded Stanford's emergency department on Jan. 25. No major traffic collisions had occurred; the flu wasn't on the rampage, as it was on the East Coast.

But over the course of that day, ED physicians and staff treated 206 people — a 40 percent increase over last year's average daily number of patients and an all-time high. The department was able to achieve that record because of two new programs, Fast Track and Team Triage, designed to provide speedier, more efficient service to patients in the ED. Read Story »

Did you know?

More than half of the bones in your body are located in your hands and feet.

Sound Bites

“Soon data will be integrated with medical records and people will have 24/7 access to their whole genomes through mobile devices, like they do for their financial information today. That future is not so far away.”

Euan Ashley, MD, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, on the emergence of personalized medicine as the new standard of care.

Wired, Feb. 14

“Giving this intervention — exposing kids to less adult television, less aggression on television and more pro-social television — will have an effect on behavior.”

Thomas Robinson, MD, MPH, professor of pediatrics, on a recent study from the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute that found violent programming affects children's behavior.

New York Times, Feb. 18

“For just about everything in medical science, we're still very male-focused. Our basic understanding is missing a key ingredient, and that is the sex difference.”

Marcia Stefanick, PhD, professor of medicine, on the need to include more females in scientific research.

San Francisco Chronicle, March 5

“The worst thing would be [for people to think], 'I can take
aspirin and that justifies me doing indoor tanning.' That is not the right message.”

Jean Tang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology, on a new study showing women who took aspirin on a regular basis reduced their risk of developing melanoma.

Three years ago, 101-year-old Winnie Bazurto noticed a strange growth on her lower eyelid. She didn't worry about it initially, but in 2012 it started getting bigger, growing into the orbit of her right eye. Read Story »

For several months, Theresa Rodriguez struggled with recurrent episodes in which she would temporarily lose the ability to move or speak. One moment, she would be feeling fine; the next, the left side of her body would go numb. Read Story »

Parents of sick newborns need clear, immediate access to information about their baby's condition. While conversations with the physician or nurse are essential, Packard Children's has found another way to keep families in the loop. Read Story »

You won't find deep-fried French fries, bacon cheeseburgers or sugar-sweetened sodas in the cafeteria at Packard Children's. Instead, hungry visitors can choose whole-grain pasta and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Read Story »